The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM and the Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 VC USD for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
Size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses.Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM is the longer of the two lenses at 146mm. The Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 VC USD with a length of 143mm is 3mm shorter. On the other hand, the Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 VC USD has a larger diameter of 82mm compared to Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM's 80mm diameter.
Weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM weighs 710g, which means it is 55g (7%) lighter than the Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 VC USD which has a weight of 765g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the 'Telephoto Zoom Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Telephoto Zoom Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM and Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 VC USD has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Canon 1D X III, Canon 6D MII and Canon 5D MIV.
Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 VC USD is also available in Nikon F (FX) mount.
Focal Range
Both lenses have the same focal range of 70-300mm and the fastest aperture of F4-5.6.